Latest Research on Entrepreneurship and Small Business by CMMU Faculty and PhD Candidate

The longitudinal research examined business practices of Sa Paper Preservation House, a small, but internationally successful enterprise operating in a community in Chiangmai, Thailand.  It adopts Avery’s 19 Rhineland leadership practices derived from sustainable enterprises as a framework to examine the sustainable business practices of the small enterprise which manufactures mulberry paper products.  Using a case study approach, multi-data collection methods included non-participant observations during several enterprise visits, semi-structured interview sessions with multiple stakeholders, and reference to internal information and published documentation.

Evidence was found for compliance with 14 of Avery’s 19 sustainable leadership elements, but to various degrees.  The elements were categorized into six core groups of practices: adopting a long-term perspective, focusing on people priority, strong organizational culture, nurturing innovation, social and environmental responsibility, and ethical behavior.  The paper concludes that Avery’s 19 Rhineland practices provide a useful framework applicable to small enterprises in Thailand to evaluate their corporate sustainability.  Small enterprises in Thailand and possibly in other Asian countries that wish to sustain their organizational success could adopt Avery’s 19 Rhineland Leadership Grid elements to investigate their leadership practices, and adjust them to become more sustainable.

Acceptance of this report confirms CMMU as a leading business school in Asia.